CHAPTER 177 — WHEN PREDICTION BEGAN TO CHASE
The system had never been behind before.
Not truly.
Even when it adjusted, even when it recalibrated, it always did so from a position of quiet advantage. It anticipated before others realized they were being anticipated. It shaped direction before direction became visible.
Now, for the first time, it was following.
Not far.
Not enough for most to notice.
But Elena felt it the moment the new data cycles began.
There was a delay.
Small. Precise. Almost respectful.
But real.
She stood where she always did, overlooking the city that no longer moved in smooth alignment. Lights blinked at uneven intervals. Systems updated out of sync. Decisions no longer flowed like a single current. They moved like separate streams trying to find a path at the same time.
Marcus entered without announcing himself. He had that look again, the one that meant something subtle had shifted beyond expectation.
"It is no longer ahead," he said.
